PAGE 9 (-->) Home Invasion Robbery: What would You Do? ( Continued )


The main man Tom Holt says that the Zatochi sword is a real piece of junk. Don't oreder it! I thought I would tell all of you. I still want one no matter how junkie it is. I wonder if I can find one consealed in a six ft. staff?

- D
 
I remember reading some pretty negative reviews of the Chinese-made Japanese-style swords, the 'Zatoichi' line in particular, on Sword Forum and a couple of other places online; basic complaint was that the blades were flimsy and/or brittle and the furniture fell to bits after a few cuts.

Anybody who wants to try one should check out E-Bay (if your conscience allows you...); most of the time there seem to be a choice of Zatoichis up for sale, fetching $25-$50.
 
:
Since this is kinda a catch all thread I am posting here instead of opening a new one or tracking down the old post where I mentioned designing a new custom or special order khukuri that I want.

Y'all or most of y'all know I have a great interest in a _Full_ Curving Khkuri, not just a forward curving khukuri.

I have 3 designed and trying to decide on which one I like the most. That's the trouble with too many choices!! The one I believe I am going to settle on is an 18" oal. I think this is a good all around size for almost anything and would fit in the topic here of home defense.
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Measured from the center of the butt cap to the point, with the ruler laying under the edge the curve raises up in the center or 9" mark to 5 9/16" high. The blade is 3" at the widest point 5" back from the point and is very pointy and leaf shaped. It is 1 3/8" wide at the bolster.
The blade is 12 5/8" long and the handle 6" long.
The difference between the oal and the blade + handle length is due to the full curve in the knife. This is an arc from point to butt cap!!

If I can carve the double fullers and make them blend into one towards the bolster then I believe it will be a Dui Chiarra. I think that's what the double fullered ones are called.

All 3 knives are similar in appearance. One is only 16 1/2" oal and is nice, but the handle may be a tad short for some of y'all that may be interested in getting one of these. The other one has a very sin-u-ous sen-su-al blade that I don't think Rusty could handle.
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wink (vbeseg)
No,really!
It is beautiful, but impractical as a good combo utility and weapon as the belly curves up to short and suddenly to be a real effective utility blade.

I am only gonna be able to do this once I imagine and I want to do it right. I sure couldn't afford to say,"What if I tried this, or this, or that." too many times. The kamis wouldn't just think I was crazy they would know it and Uncle Bill as patient as he is would probably give up on me after a while. (Avbeseg)

I am also going to make a prtotype of the karda and chakma that I want to go with this khukuri and they will both be of usable lentghs with about 5" blades and both of them sharp as Uncle Bill has said,"I would sharpen the chakma in order to have an extra knife in case one was lost."

It's gonna be a while before I get time to do the actual prtotypes, but I hope to get to them in my spare time from my other obligations and hobbies.

The question is....
Do y'all think the 18" oal length is a good compromise on the usable length of a good all around using khuk?

I may be able to send a pic to Howard or to Uncle Bill when he gets back to give everyone and idea of what this one is gonna look like.
Howard would you do that if I
can get a copy into the mail this week when I mail out all my other packages and such?

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>>>>---¥vsa---->®

"Know your own bone, gnaw at it, bury it, unearth it again."

'Thoreau'

Khukuri FAQ
 
I say go for at least 20" or 22". Them old forward curving khuks were _long_.

I think the only real question is, how high are the ceilings in your house? And how does it compare to your own height? I say, get the biggest, heaviest, sharpest khuk you can swing without getting tangled up in your ceiling.

And, "I" before "E" except after "C".

-Dave

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Craig Rosebraugh is innocent!
 
Yvsa,

Sure. It might take me a little while to get it scanned though.

I'll try to post a picture of an old full-curve khukuri I just got later this evening. It's only 14 oz, but it feels really nice. Sometimes I think we get too carried away with "big and thick." (But then I usually come back to my madness.)


[This message has been edited by Howard Wallace (edited 02-13-2000).]
 
:
Dave that was my original thought too, but I am thinking 17"-18" might be best for an all around khukuri. My 18" AK goes about 2 Lbs. and I wouldn't want to go over that.
More on this further down.
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I got to meet Terry Cisco today and he's a great guy. We hit it off just a soon as we shook hands. He didn't try to pulveize me and I seldom give a man as big as he is my whole hand. The arthritis hurts when squeesed!!
If I hung out in bars like I did once upon a time, Terry is the bud that I would let go in first.(VBESEG)

Howard I think you're right about the big and heavy. Many of the old ones are quite thin I understand, and get this. Terry Has One With A DISTAL TAPER!!!
It's an old one and I think about 18"-19" oal. It was pretty thin too, about 1/4" at the tip!
Terry was tellin' me about some of the other older khukuri's and how they used to be much thinner. I kinda think that's how those old full curving were able to be used as weapons.

With the Distal Taper the knife should be much faster in the hand. The "little" trick will be in carving the prototype with a distal taper and.... The double fuller. I would like the steel model to go about
1 1/2 - 1 3/4 Lbs. I may have to revise a few times until Uncle thinks it will come in about that weight.

The "Big" trick will be in getting the kamis to make it exactly the same thickness, as that bigger is better mentality
may try to over rule the wishes of the customer. Maybe we can get Uncle to really put it that the knife has to be made very close to the thickness or it won't be accepted. Yeah,right!!
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You can tell a lot by a prototype as the balance and feel is really surprisingly similar in wood or steel. The weight's the biggest difference.
The AK Bowie was very similar too what the wooden one was.



------------------
>>>>---¥vsa---->®

"Know your own bone, gnaw at it, bury it, unearth it again."

'Thoreau'

Khukuri FAQ
 
A whole week without a post, but Unc is back now.

The shepherd's crook is now stained rosewood and drying so I can rub it down and final finish it next week.

And I now know that one indin can indeed put an edge on an axe that'll shave the hair off your arm. I may have to take this one to the Judge up in Schurz for a sheath. Once I can stand to let it out of arms reach from the bed, that is.

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Horse sense is what a jackass ain't got.
 
The handles are off the bayonets, I've got several chunks of wood Yvsa sent to use on them once I get a few dirk handle designs roughed out, and I have J&B weld epoxy to re do the assegai spear the right way this time.

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Horse sense is what a jackass ain't got.
 
I shipped Howard a picture of my neck knife while you were gone, but I guess he didn't find a scanner yet. Also included some pix of the other wood scabbard that demonstrated why to sheath and unsheath properly. And of course a picture of the Super Salyan next to my 45 for perspective.
 
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